What's Dearest to a Man's Heart
by Melody of the Storm
Summary: Sequel to Curse of the Self Insert. After a fourteen-month-long exile, Kate's back and ready for DMC. But this time, she's putting everything she's got into stopping that kiss...Jack x OC x Norrington, rated for language and implied citrus.
1. The Medallion Shines Again

Here I am! You guys have been very patient, and all that waiting's paid off! Here's the first chapter of Kate's next adventure! This one promises to be a great one! If you guys haven't already figured it out, Norrington won the poll with a score of 22 out of 36 over half the votes. Thanks for sharing your opinion! Nobody better come crying to me later in the series…

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters mentioned here, excluding Kate and Inner Voice.

* * *

"_Now…bring me that horizon…da-da-da-da-da-da-da…and really bad eggs…drink up, me hearties, yo-ho!"_

"Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me," I finished softly, switching the movie off. And what a life it was. Out of habit, I fingered the piece of Aztec gold around my neck. I'd taken it off only on rare occasions since that day, hoping that it was start glowing again. But it hadn't. Not even a twinkle. Even my inner voice had left me…okay, maybe that wasn't all bad…

_RIIIIIIIING!_

I pulled myself out of my thoughts and reached absently for the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello yourself, birthday girl!"

I instantly felt myself grinning. The voice on the line was none other than that of one Mia Walker, my best friend and fellow Pirates fangirl. Mia was your typical sporty type – usually wearing a sports outfit of some kind (specifically with the phrase "Lady Bengals Volleyball Team" printed somewhere on it), bright blond hair constantly tied in a low ponytail, a sports drink in one hand and a volleyball in the other. When she wasn't thinking about sports, she was usually thinking about a certain fictional blacksmith-turned-pirate-turned-ghost-ship-captain by the name of William Turner II. I still hadn't figured out why she hung out with me – she could be the most popular girl in school if she wanted to, while my destiny most likely involved our cafeteria's loser table.

"Eighteen at last," Mia went on. "Look out, world, Kate Cooper's a legal adult."

"If you use the word 'adult' loosely," I laughed, stretching out on the couch as best I could.

Mia giggled. "Yeah. So, what're you doing to celebrate?"

"Nothing much. Jeff and Ross are taking me out to Olive Garden once they get off work." Whenever my brothers were on vacation from school, they took over my numerous jobs to give me a well-deserved break.

"Ooh, get the spaghetti and meatballs! They got this really great new recipe for it –"

"Wait a minute, how do you get a new recipe for spaghetti and meatballs?"

"The hell if I know, but they did it and did it well."

"Hmm. How was practice?"

Mia started rambling on about spikes and Gatorade shortages, so I was able to zone out for a little. I closed my eyes and saw the _Pearl _gliding swiftly through the dark-blue waves, the crew scurrying around the deck, Jack up at the helm with a dashing grin on his face…_Jack_…

"Kate? Kate, you still there?"

I jumped in surprise. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm still here."

"Everything okay, Katie? You've been sort of…off, lately."

I blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you always seem so distracted about something. Is anything wrong?"

I felt my hand cover my medallion again. "No! Uh, I mean…nothing's wrong."

"You sure?"

"Yup."

"Uh-huh…" Mia said thoughtfully. She was quiet for a minute. "Hey, why don't you come over to my place? I've got just the thing for your little problem."

I didn't bother denying that I had any problem at all. "What did you have in mind?"

"Watching _At World's End_. You, my friend, need Captain Jack Sparrow."

I sighed deeply. "You have no idea."

It had been fourteen months since I came back. Over a year since my journey into the Pirates of the Caribbean world. One year, two months, and ten days since I was last in Jack's arms.

But hey, who's counting?

* * *

_Kate? Kate, wake up!_

I frowned slightly and pulled the covers over my head.

_Come on, get up!_

"Go 'way," I muttered, curling into a ball.

_WAKE UP!_

My eyes snapped open and I gasped loudly. "You!" I yelped, but quickly lowered my voice once I heard a noise from my brothers' room. "No way! Inner Voice?"

_You got it, kiddo! I'm back! Oh, and happy birthday, by the way._

_Thanks…how did you…when…how come you didn't talk to me for over a year!?_

_Eheheheh…um, seriously not my fault. I kind of have these…rules to follow._

_Rules?_

_Yeah, I know, hard to believe. You see, I can only speak to you while you're in the Pirates world, or right before you enter._

Oh. I should probably keep that in mind for la –

Hold it.

What'd she say?

_Come again?_

_Congratulations, Kate. You made it fourteen months, and now it's time to __head__ back._

"No way," I breathed, feeling euphoria start to kick in. I glanced down at my medallion, and as I watched, the coin began to glow faintly. Oh, my God! It's finally time!

The medallion's glowing grew brighter and brighter until the entire room was filled with golden light. Out of nowhere, I heard a deep, accented voice singing in my head: "Fifteen men on the Dead Man's Chest, yo-ho-ho and a bottle o' rum! Drink and the devil had done for the rest, yo-ho-ho and a bottle o' rum!"

_Good luck, Katie! You better hold on tight, 'cause you are in for one wild ride!_

I smiled disbelievingly, feeling a tear slide down my cheek. "I'm coming, Jack."

And there it was – the familiar lightning-struck jolt, and falling into the inky blackness…

Best. Gift. Ever.

* * *


	2. Waitin' on the World to Change

Wow, that got done quicker than I thought! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters mentioned here, excluding Kate and Inner Voice.

* * *

The first thing I became aware of was the smell of the sea. That wasn't completely out of the ordinary, as our apartment was pretty close to the beach. What really caught me off guard was the sensation of rain drops splattering onto my face. We were in the middle of a pretty bad drought – it hadn't rained in months. Weird…come to think of it, what am I doing outside? I remember something waking me up…some sort of deafening voice… 

_Well, it's not my fault if you're a heavy sleeper! I tried waking you up for ten minutes! You oughta be ashamed of yourself; a good pirate always needs to be prepared, even when they're asleep._

Wait, was that…yes! My inner voice! And so the medallion…The memories of last night resurfacing, I opened my eyes – and promptly became blinded by a stray raindrop.

"AAAH! MY EYE!"

_Get over it, you Ragetti wannabe. It doesn't even hurt that much!_

_Oh, shut up._

I blinked a couple times, rubbed my eye, and looked around. I had been lying down on a small beach, just beyond the water's edge. The sea and sky were both gray and murky-looking. The reason the beach seemed so small was because of the number of piers and harbors jutting out from the shore. There were a few ships anchored around them, and one larger ship drifting quite a ways away. Satisfied with the scene in front of me, I peeked over my shoulder. A gently sloping sand dune hugged tightly to what looked like a mass of cobblestone streets – deserted, probably due to the weather. Many small buildings were clumped together, as though shying away from the rain. In the distance, I could faintly make out the outline of a large stone structure.

It took a minute to realize what I was looking at. "Port Royal? _Port freakin__'__ Royal_? You've gotta be kidding me! What a bloody rip-off!"

_Will you keep it down? Do you want the Navy to catch you, or something?_

_Oh, c'mon, there's no one here. Besides, I think I've got a right to be pissed! Why am I here, of all places? I should be on the _Pearl_, with Jack and the others!_

_Don't worry, you'll catch up later. As for why the medallion landed you here…I guess Will and Elizabeth need you more than Jack does at the moment._

Muttering darkly, I glanced down at my clothes, fully expecting to see the same lavender-blouse-and jeans ensemble like last time. But it looks like I got a costume change, too: I was wearing a long-sleeved, dirty white shir, with the medallion was clearly visible against the light-colored fabric. As before, the shirt was covered by a black vest (although it seemed a little bigger in order to accommodate my…ahem…growth over the past year). Dark-gray and slightly baggy trousers were being held up by a black belt, from which my sword was awkwardly hanging. Also like last time, I wore the same jet-black boots, but they seemed dirtier and more worn out. Nothing new with my hairdo – tied up in a ponytail with my impossibly long bangs framing my face. Rotating my shoulders slightly, I noticed a straw-colored backpack (maybe they called 'em 'rucksacks' here…) strapped to me. Feeling my eyebrows rise in surprise, I pulled the rucksack off, unbuttoned the top flap, and removed the contents one by one. I had been mysteriously provided with a compass, an outdated-looking map, a handful of assorted coins, a length of rope, and a surprisingly shiny dagger, which had the same crest on either side of the blade as my sword did (a strange distortion of the initials _KC_). I tucked the dagger into my boot, wincing at the feeling of cold metal against my skin.

"Okay," I said aloud, smiling slightly and replacing the other items. "I can work with this."

_Uh-oh._

I felt my smile disappear. _What now?_

_Remember how you said that there was no one around to hear you?_

_Yeah, and?_

_Look out at that ship._

I squinted through the mist. Now that I took a closer look, I saw that it was an enormous warship. The sails were wide and sweeping, and the design had them divided into quarters: two black squares and two white in a sort of checkerboard pattern. What looked like twenty longboats had left the ship and were moving sluggishly through the water. All of them were filled with red-coated marines, and the lead boat had a man on horseback…

Oh, son of a bitch! Beckett! Every instinct I had screamed to run, but I had lost control of myself. I just sat there, frozen except for my eyes, which were getting wider by the second.

_Kate, you idiot, get out of here! Run for it!_

Struggling to calm my rising panic, I scrambled to my feet and raced up the dune, kicking up wet sand. I thought I heard a deep voice call out, but I didn't dare turn around. I just ran faster.

Once the panic subsided, I noticed that I had left the coast far behind and was now right in the middle of town. Thankfully, this part of Port Royal was just as deserted as the docks, but I slowed to a jog anyway, conscious of anyone who could be looking out the window. I carefully ducked into an alley and sat down on a fairly dry barrel, brushing my soaked bangs away from my face and panting heavily.

Okay. So it's raining, Beckett's on a horse and coming ashore with a bunch of marines…definitely Dead Man's Chest. I'm stuck in the middle of Port Royal, probably hundreds of miles away from Jack with absolutely no way to get to him. Will and Elizabeth are about to be arrested for helping Jack escape the noose, and I'm probably wanted for that same crime. What to do…? Well, I definitely don't want Beckett involved with us in any way, otherwise I'll have to go through all that shit with the EITC gaining control of the sea…not exactly the best thing to let happen…

_Whoa, __whoa, whoa, back up a sec. Are you planning on changing the movie?_

_Well, uh…yeah. I got landed here for a reason, right? Maybe it's to stop Beckett before he gets the heart._

_But why would you _want _to change the script? You always say you wouldn't have these movies any other way!_

I was quiet a minute. _You remember how Jack tried for ages to win me over, and I kept saying no?_

_Not the best judgment on your part._

_Shut it. _

_I'm just saying, if an extremely hot guy is into you and you like him back, there's really not much sense in – _

_If you'd recall, I was trying to prevent myself from being betrayed again when Lizzie kissed him. _I shuddered at the thought. _But, unfortunately, Jack persuaded me to take another course of action._

_Bow-chicka-bow-wow!_

_If you're gonna keep interrupting me…_

_Okay, okay, sorry!_ Inner Voice apologized quickly.

_That's more like it. So, I'm in love with Jack, he's got some sort of attraction for both me and Lizzie. I _still _don't want to feel betrayed like with…with Jason, __and I can't just break up with Jack. So, what's left?_

_…you wanna stop the kiss from happening in the first place._

_Exactly._

_And what does this have to do with Beckett?_

_Think about it: if get out of Beckett's influence, then Will, Lizzie, and I won't be in danger of hanging. If we aren't in danger of hanging, then Lizzie won't be able to get the Letters of Marque. If Lizzie doesn't get the Letters, then Norrington won't be tempted to steal the heart. And if Norrington doesn't steal the heart, then we can use it to negotiate with Davy Jones before he sends out the Kraken!_

_You've had a lot of time to come up with this, haven't you?_

I sighed. _It's been a long year._

_It's a good plan, but there's one problem: how are you gonna get Will and Lizzie out of Beckett's reach? The EITC controls the entire Caribbean even without the heart!_

_…I guess I have to prevent them from getting arrested in the first place._

The sound of footsteps jolted me out of my thinking. I hurriedly jumped off the barrel and crouched down behind it. And not a moment too soon – what must have been fifty marines marched along the streets, looking no less menacing despite the weather. Unlike the pitiful array of troops I'd seen last year, these guys looked tough; I saw the experience in their eyes.

_Well then, you'd better find that smithy fast! This movie's goin' quick!_

_Right. Wish me luck! _I waited till the marines rounded the corner before racing off.

It took fifteen long, anxious minutes to find the smithy, as my memory of Port Royal was a bit fuzzy. Not to mention the fact that there were marines around every corner and I had to keep taking detours. When I finally spotted the shop, I was out of breath, sweaty, and starting to freak out. Without hesitating, I knocked on the large wooden door, my knuckles stinging from the force. I heard a crash, followed by a stressed-out voice calling, "Come in!" I took the invitation, conscious of how much time I'd wasted.

The smithy was just as warm and cluttered as I remembered. There were, however, a couple things different from last time. There was no drunken Mr. Brown passed out by the fire, and a rack of tools had fallen off its perch (most likely the cause of the crash). And crouched down on the floor, hurriedly trying to replace the tools…

"Will!" I gasped, leaping down the ledge and rushing over to him. Forgetting the fact that he was about to get married, I threw my arms around him in a relieved embrace. "Thank God, I thought I hadn't made it in time!"

Will looked down at me, clueless as ever, but recognition slowly surfaced in his eyes. "Kate?! Is that…is that really you?"

I nodded. "Yup! I'm back! Hang on, let me just…" I let go of him and stepped back to get a better look at him. Will had that same half-rugged, half-innocent handsomeness about him, but his expression seemed to have a bit more confidence and experience (at the moment, though, his face was rather pale – a combination of wedding jitters and shock of seeing an old friend). He was wearing a long, dark blue coat over a fancy white shirt, dark brown pants, tights, buckled shoes, and a tri-cornered hat. I bit back a laugh. "Nice outfit."

Will's face flushed. "It's, uh…for a special occasion. You see…"

"Wait, don't tell me!" I interrupted, raising my hands in a 'stop' motion. "…you're getting married, aren't you? To Elizabeth?"

Will's face turned even redder as he nodded. "That's right. So you can still…?" He gestured to my medallion.

I looked down at it. "Read the future. Uh-huh." I smiled slyly. "Congratulations, by the way. Didn't think you had it in you!"

Will decided to take that as a compliment. "Thank you. Where's Jack?"

I sighed heavily. "I don't know…we got separated after we left Port Royal."

Will frowned. "What do you mean, 'separated?'"

I struggled to make up an answer before finally settling with a version of the truth. "I'm not sure how it happened…all I know is I passed out and when I woke up, I was back at home with my brothers. I've been trying to find him ever since, but no luck."

Will put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry," he murmured, taking on the "concerned older brother" role yet again. "I hope you find him soon."

"Yeah…" I suddenly remembered why I was here and shook my head vigorously. "Gaah! What am I doing? Never mind all that! Listen, Will, we're all in danger! You, me, and Elizabeth are going to be arrested!"

Will's eyes widened. "What?"

"I just saw a bunch of marines coming ashore from an East India Company ship, and they look to be the equivalent of the FBI!"

"The…what?"

"Oh, screw it! What I'm trying to say is, we gotta get out of here before they get to us!"

Will shook his head slowly. "Are you sure? You and I were granted clemency for our crimes, remember? And Elizabeth hasn't done –?"

"I'm positive!" I interrupted, feeling more panicked than ever. We were wasting time. "Look, I don't have time to explain, but I'll tell you everything once we're out of here. Where's Elizabeth?"

"She's at the Church of Saint Francis," Will answered promptly. "Up the street and around the corner, you can't miss it."

"Saint Francis, up the street, 'round the corner," I repeated. "Got it. I'll go get Elizabeth, and I'll meet you down at the docks!"

There was a flash of alarm on Will's face. "Taking a ship?"

"Taking a ship."

Will hesitated, but then nodded. "…right. I'll see you there." I blinked in surprise. I'd expected an argument, or at least _some _form of protest. Will had grown up more than I'd thought.

"Okay. Avoid the marines, they're everywhere." I jumped back up onto the ledge and reached for the door, but then remembered something suddenly. "Oh, and Will?"

"Yes?"

I smiled. "Good to see you again."

He blinked rapidly, but then returned the smile. "You too." I nodded in acknowledgement and raced out the door.

It was raining harder, now, and the mist had thickened. I could barely see in front of me and had to rely on touch and hearing rather than sight to make it to the church. Will was right – it was impossible to miss. Easily the tallest building in this part of the town, the church had several intricate stained-glass patterns that could be seen even in this sort of weather. There were several horse-drawn carriages pulling away, the occupants most likely disgruntled wedding guests. I brushed the hair away from my eyes again, sidestepped a couple civilians, and entered the church. I jogged briskly through the enormous chamber and kept my eyes fixed on the archway in the back that I guessed led out to the courtyard. Scores of people were seated in the pews, speaking impatiently to one another. There were some cries of alarm as I moved pass, but I didn't bother looking. I had no time. I picked up the pace and crossed into the courtyard.

I paused for a moment and surveyed the wreckage around me. The wind had knocked down several chairs and even a table, and several damp pieces of music flew by me. The teacups on the still-standing table were brimming with rainwater, and the wedding cake had completely disintegrated. I felt my heart shift slightly. _Their day…their wedding day's completely wrecked._

Right in the center of the courtyard, a figure in a golden dress and snow-white veil crouched onto the ground, her shoulders hunched in desolation. Recognizing her immediately, I leapt down the last few steps and raced down the aisle towards her. "Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth jumped and looked over her shoulder at me. Her tear-filled eyes widened. "Kate? Kate Cooper?!"

I reached her and helped her to her feet. "Yeah, it's me. Nice to see you again! How you doin'?"

The smile disappeared on Lizzie's face. "Terrible…have you seen Will?"

I winced. "I have. If luck's on our side, then he's down at the docks."

Lizzie frowned. "The docks? Why would he be…?" She suddenly looked alarmed. "He's not…leaving, is he?" A stray tear fell down her cheek.

"Wh…no, no! Well, technically yes, but…argh." I took a deep breath. "I told him to go down to the docks, and you and I are gonna go there right now, and the three of us are gonna get the hell out of here!"

Lizzie cringed at my language, but then what I was saying sunk in. "Leave? But why?"

"Because we're in _danger_!" I answered impatiently. "I'll explain everything later, but we need to go _now _before Beckett –"

"I prefer _Lord_ Beckett, if you don't mind."

"Oh, damn," I whispered and turned around. Standing under the safety of the archway, wearing a traveling cloak and with his hands held behind him, was Lord Cutler Beckett himself. Too late.

A line of marines began filing in from the church, blocking all escape paths. At their head was Mercer, who took his place off to the opposite side of the arch. A group of about six marines came from the center corridor, escorting a well-dressed, shackled young man…my heart sank. It was Will.

_I don't think the movie _wants_ to change, Katie._

_I don't wanna hear it._

Elizabeth gasped loudly and dropped her bouquet. "Will!" she breathed, and hurried over to him. I stood frozen, aware of Beckett's icy gaze on me. "Will!" Lizzie said louder as she reached him. "Why is this happening?"

"I don't know," Will answered. He smiled slightly. "You look beautiful."

Lizzie's lips did not part as she smiled at him. "…I think it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

I suddenly felt intense rage overcome my fear. Clenching my fists, I took several steps up the aisle and shouted, "Will, you idiot, I told you to watch for the marines! Didn't I say they were _everywhere_?!"

Will shrank back from my rage. "Sorry," he replied meekly.

I sighed exasperatedly. "Hell of a lot o' good _that_ does us!"

I suddenly felt something latch onto my arms and force them behind my back. Two marines had snuck up behind me and were now forcibly pushing me towards Beckett. I swore loudly and tried digging in my heels, but the marines only pushed harder. I muttered darkly but went up the steps to stand directly in front of Beckett, who smirked slightly. I scowled and toyed with the idea of somehow pulling my arms free, but a resounding _click _and a constricted feeling on my wrists dissuaded me.

Instead, I asked quietly, "How long were you standing here?"

"Long enough to know that the Company has finally found whom it's been searching for," Beckett replied coolly.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"Allow me to elaborate: red hair, gold piece around your neck, well-crafted sword at your hip…" He gestured to each of these things, and his smirk widened. "Vulgar choice of words…" I felt my cheeks redden. "…who else could you be but one Miss Katherine Cooper, wanted for crimes against the Crown with the most frequent and certain being piracy?"

Damn it, he's good.

"I, uh…I honestly don't know who you're talking about, sir," I replied weakly, struggling to get out of the marines' grip.

"Ah, of course, how foolish of me." His voice dropped in volume. "You prefer to be called by 'Kate,' correct?"

I opened my mouth to lie again, but I saw it was pointless; there was no way to escape, and even if there was, I'd still be pretty badly hurt. I sighed in defeat. "Yes, sir."

Beckett's smirk widened even further. "Yes, I thought so."

The guests seemed to finally catch on, for a large group of people began gathering at the edge of the sea of redcoats. Governor Swann (looking just as flabbergasted as I remembered) pushed himself to the front of the crowd and tried to reach his daughter, but was blocked by two of the marines with giant spears, or whatever. "How dare you!?" he said furiously. He looked over at Beckett, who had his back to the angry aristocrat. "Stand your way down at once! Do you hear me?!"

Beckett slowly and dramatically turned to face him. "Governor Weatherby Swann, it's been too long." He casually unfastened his cloak and handed it to a random officer.

Gov. Swann looked more confused than ever. "…Cutler Beckett?"

_Who the hell comes up with these names?_

_At least they _have _official names._

_Point taken._

"It's _Lord_ now, actually," Beckett corrected again, a note of impatience entering his voice.

The Governor quickly recovered. The marines removed their spear-thingies from his path, and he stepped forward angrily. "Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to arrest this man!"

"Ahem."

"Or this young lady."

"Thank you. And he's right," I added to Beckett. "Will and I were both granted clemency for our acts of piracy."

Beckett ignored me. "In fact, I do. Mr. Mercer?" Mercer stepped forward, holding a leather case. He opened it to reveal the four warrants. Beckett picked out the two on top. "The warrants for the arrests of William Turner and Katherine Cooper." He handed them to Governor Swann.

Governor Swann looked over the warrants, his forehead beginning to crease slightly. "This warrant _is _for Katherine Cooper –"

"Thanks a lot," I grumbled, rolling my eyes.

" – but _this_ warrant is for Elizabeth Swann." He held up the warrant meant for Will.

"Oh, is it?" Beckett looked at it. "That's annoying. My mistake. Arrest her."

Two marines stepped forward and grabbed Lizzie's arms. "On what charges?!" she gasped.

"NO!" Will and I shouted at the same time. There was no way to get out of Beckett's grasp now.

Beckett ignored the question and picked up the remaining two warrants. "Aha. Here's the one for William Turner." He gave the warrant to Gov. Swann and held up the other one. "And I have another one for a Mr. James Norrington, is he present?"

"What are the charges?!" Elizabeth asked again as she was forced into handcuffs.

"Leave Elizabeth and Norrington out of it!" I snapped at Beckett. "Will and I were the ones that –"

"Now, now, don't spoil it," Beckett interrupted, smirking again. "And in response to your statement, both Miss Swann and Mr. Norrington played a part, albeit a small, indirect one, in the crime." He looked around. "As I was saying, is Mr. Norrington here?"

"Commodore Norrington resigned his commission some months ago," Gov. Swann explained. An image of a dirty, drunken man wearing a filthy, misshapen wig popped into my head, and I suddenly felt a wave of guilt. Whoa…why do I feel guilty? He deserved it! …right?

Beckett turned back to Gov. Swann. "I don't believe that was the answer to the question I asked."

"Lord Beckett!" Will cut in loudly. "In the category of questions not answered…"

"We are under the jurisdiction of the King's Governor of Port Royal, and you will tell us what we are charged with!" Lizzie finished venomously.

Beckett was smirking wider than ever as he looked over at me. "I believe _you _know, don't you, Miss Cooper?"

I looked over at Lizzie and Will, feeling defeated. "You guys helped us escape," I said softly. "We stopped a criminal from getting his sentence. That's against the law." They looked at each other and then back at me, speechless.

Gov. Swann hurriedly scanned the warrant. "The charge," he read, "is 'conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown and Empire and condemned to death, for which the p –'" He broke off, dumbstruck.

"For which the punishment regrettably is also death," Beckett finished. I suddenly felt sick as I imagined the hanging scene in the beginning of the next move. _Oh, God…_

_Easy, you're gonna be okay, remember?_

Beckett's gaze swept between the three of us. "Perhaps you all remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow?"

"CAPTAIN!" We all shouted at once. Beckett raised an eyebrow. "He goes by, '_Captain_ Jack Sparrow,'" I clarified.

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow," he echoed. "Yes, I thought you might."

I looked away from Beckett. The ocean was only just visible. I closed my eyes. _Jack, wherever you are, you better find that chest fast._

* * *

That should pacify you people for a few days. Ha, ha, ha...just kidding. 


	3. It's Just Good Business

Disclaimer: I only own Kate. Everything else is owned by Disney.

* * *

"Okay," I grumbled. "So far, this adventure isn't turning out like I hoped." 

_Just be patient. It's only the first part; you'll be out of here soon._

Beckett had ordered us to be thrown in jail to await our official sentence. We were now sitting in a cell at Fort Charles, with my sword and rucksack hanging on the rack outside. As before, the only other occupied cell was the one to our left, which was filled with a group of sleeping prisoners that looked oddly similar to the criminals in the first movie…now that I think of it, this may be the exact same cell. Déjà vu.

"So," Elizabeth said from her spot on the ledge, "you knew about all this?"

I nodded. "Yeah. That's why I came back – to warn you."

Will paused in his nervous pacing of the cell. "How did you get here by yourself?"

I smiled slyly, for once having come up with an explanation. "It's amazing how far a fishing boat takes you, mate." I winced realistically. "And how fast it'll sink."

Will frowned. "Sank?"

"Yeah, I only just made it before the whole thing went under. Talk about lucky, huh?" An image of Anamaria's boat popped into my head, and I suppressed a giggle.

"Looks like that luck's worn out," Lizzie commented bitterly, playing with one of the ribbons on her dress. Will sighed heavily and resumed pacing.

"Not to worry, people," I said with more confidence than I had. "This isn't a problem. We'll be out of here in no time. No problem at all."

"Easy for you to say," Lizzie replied hopelessly. "You're probably used to breaking out of jails by now." It would have been a biting insult if there'd been any energy behind it.

I got the message anyway. "Okay, one, I wasn't saying we were gonna break out, and two, I haven't done _anything _illegal since Jack and I got separated!" I looked away, seething.

When Lizzie spoke again, her voice sounded shocked. "You…you and Jack were separated?"

"Well, seeing as he's not here –" I began.

"I knew he wasn't here with you in Port Royal, but I had no idea you two weren't traveling anymore! How long has it been?" She was reminding me of the popular girls at school who only cared about gossiping.

I hugged my knees tightly against me. "…I haven't seen him since Norrington let us go."

Lizzie gasped. "But that was over a year ago! How could –?"

"Elizabeth," Will interrupted firmly. Lizzie obediently shut up. I nodded gratefully at Will and squeezed my eyes shut, feeling a lump come to my throat.

There was silence for a few minutes, filled only with the sounds of Will's buckled shoes hitting the floor. He sighed quietly. "This doesn't make any sense. If setting Jack free is a crime, then why weren't we arrested earlier?"

"Because Beckett needs us," I answered. "He's got a goal in mind, and he can't reach it without Jack – or rather, something Jack has. But seeing as Jack's gone AWOL, M.I.A, and otherwise not around, Beckett's using his closest friends as tools to find him."

Lizzie's face was scrunched up with the effort of figuring this out. "But why does he need Jack? And what goal is he trying to reach?"

I let go of my knees and stretched out to a more comfortable position. "I don't wanna say too much now, but don't worry. Beckett will explain once we get dropped off at his office."

"…what?"

I opened my mouth to clarify, but I was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. A wigged officer and two marines came down the stairs and stood at attention in front of our cell. One had two pairs of shackles dangling at his side; all three had guns.

"Mr. Turner and Miss Cooper," the officer said sharply. "Lord Beckett requires your presence at the East India Company Office immediately." One marine stepped forward, took a ring of keys from the officer (I miss the dog…), and unlocked our cell.

"Cool!" I said cheerfully, standing up. "I like it when I'm right!" I was a bit more mentally prepared this time and reluctantly allowed myself to be shackled, deciding to save the torture for Beckett.

Will, however, did not share in my go-quietly-now-be-a-pain-in-the-ass-later attitude. "What about Elizabeth?"

"Lord Beckett specifically requested you two only," the officer drawled, sounding bored.

"I'm not leaving without Elizabeth!" Will protested firmly.

"Come on, Will," I urged quietly. "She'll be okay. Just come on." Will hesitated and looked back at Lizzie, but nodded sadly. He exited the cell and was shackled.

"Will!" Lizzie whimpered. She left the ledge and knelt down beside the door.

Will awkwardly did the same, looking helpless. "I'll find a way out of this," he said quietly. "I promise."

"Please be careful," Lizzie whispered.

"Come on, then, Turner!" one of the marines snapped.

"Shh!" I hissed. "Don't ruin the Willabeth!" The marine blinked confusedly. Will gave Elizabeth one last look, stood up, and was led up the stairs by the first marine. I was led up by the second marine, and the officer followed behind.

I sighed exasperatedly. "He ruined the Willabeth."

* * *

Strangely enough, Will and I had the luxury of riding in a carriage to Beckett's office. Good thing, too – the office was all the way on the other side of town, and I'd had enough of walking around this crazy city. The office itself looked an awful lot like a museum – an overly large, complex building with tons of security and guys with hidden weapons. Will and I were led out of the carriage and into the building, the other guards giving us dirty looks. Will was too busy gawking at the building (with a very, "How the hell have I never noticed this?!" look on his face), so I took it upon myself to return the glares. 

Beckett's office was at the end of a long, high-ceilinged corridor. The door was a dull mahogany color, and the words, "Lord Cutler Beckett – East India Company Chairman" were engraved in big gold letters. _Oh, yeah…definitely compensating for something._

_"__Chairman__?" Oh, come on, no use sweetening it – everyone knows he's practically a king._

_But instead of a crown, he wears a taco hat._

_Heh…nice._

The officer cleared his throat loudly and rapped his knuckles on the door, the sound echoing through the hall. At the response, "Come in," the officer pushed open the door and marched inside, dragging Will with him. I was shoved in after.

Beckett's office was pretty large, with one side leading to a balcony that overlooked the docks. One wall had been devoted to an enormous map of the world, on which a cartographer was currently working. There was a fireplace on yet another wall, with a roaring fire despite the heat and humidity. Feeling a light twinge in the scar I'd received four years ago, I instinctively inched away from the fireplace. There were several tables and chairs in the room, and a large desk was strewn with paper and quill pens. A small bottle of liquor and three glasses rested on the corner of the desk. Beckett himself was speaking with Mercer near the back, showing him a piece of paper.

"Lord Beckett, the prisoners as ordered, sir," the officer announced smartly.

"Those won't be necessary," Beckett said quietly. The officer frowned but nodded at the marines, who hastily unlocked the shackles. I rubbed my wrists thankfully, noting the red marks with a stab of anger. Beckett nodded at Mercer, who snapped his fingers once. He, the marines, and the cartographer exited, leaving us alone with Beckett.

It suddenly occurred to me how short Beckett was – he was about a head shorter than Will, and probably only came up to my nose. I clamped a hand over my mouth, giggling silently. Not the opportune moment for outright mockery.

Beckett raised an eyebrow. "Is anything the matter, Miss Cooper?"

I shook my head quickly. "No…no, just a cough." Will shot me a warning look.

Satisfied with my answer, Beckett moved across the room to his desk and began to pour drinks. "This may be of some help," he said, offering me a glass.

I stared at him coldly. "No, thank you. I don't drink anything served by people who want to kill me."

Beckett nodded thoughtfully. "A wise course…but not, perhaps, for every situation." His gaze swept between me and Will. "The East India Trading Company has need of your services." He offered the glass to Will, who only stared at it. Taking the hint, Beckett replaced the glass and started walking to the fireplace. "We wish for the two of you to act as our agents –"

"And by 'we,' you mean 'you?'" I cut in coolly.

Beckett glanced over his shoulder at me. "It's not polite to interrupt, you know," he pointed out, and I felt my cheeks redden. "Now, as I was saying, we wish for you to represent the Company in a business transaction with our mutual friend, Captain Sparrow." He bent down and pulled something out of the fire.

"More acquaintance than friend," Will corrected.

"Speak for yourself," I muttered.

Will gave me another warning glare before going on. "How do you know him?"

"We've had dealings in the past…and we've each left our mark on the other." He held the object up, and even though his back was to us, even Will knew what it was – a long black poker with a red-hot, P-shaped design at one end. My fists clenched. _You bastard…_

"What mark did he leave on you?" Will asked curiously. Beckett didn't answer, and I bit back another laugh (I did not, of course, know the actual mark; the writers had not specified. There was, however, a popular theory involving Beckett's masculinity…heh-heh-heh).

Beckett replaced the poker and started walking back towards us. "By your efforts, Jack Sparrow was set free. I would like the two of you to go to him and recovery a certain property in his possession." He picked up the glass and drained it. "I believe you are aware of the property I am speaking of, Miss Cooper?"

I fought the urge to pull the dagger out of my boot and stab him. "…yes, as a matter of fact. I also know that it is far too valuable to be away from its rightful owner for too long."

"Ah," Beckett answered. "That may become an issue, for the only way to secure your freedom is if the item in question is recovered and brought back here."

I was all set for an argument, but Will interrupted again. "Recover…at the point of a sword?"

Beckett shot him a mock-horrified look. "_Bargain_." He crossed the room once again and opened a small box on his desk bearing the EITC insignia. He turned back towards us and held up the contents – what looked like a dark-brown checkbook, but inclosing something far more valuable to the plot. "Letters of Marque," Beckett explained.

Will shot me a questioning look out of the corner of his eye. "Letters of Marque are basically an official pardon for a severe crime like piracy," I explained quietly. _Whoa, wait a second…so how come Will and I didn't get them when we were granted clemency?_

_Because continuity's a bitch._

"Precisely," Beckett said to me, walking back over yet again. "You will offer what amounts to a full pardon. Jack will be free – a privateer in the employ of England."

I snorted. "You obviously don't know Jack very well. He's got freedom now, and there's a big difference between freedom and employment."

Beckett smiled and made a face that implied he was trying not to laugh. "Freedom…" He walked out to the balcony, motioning for us to follow. "Jack Sparrow is a dying breed. The world is shrinking, the blank edges of the map filled in." I involuntarily looked back at the map. "Jack must find his place in the New World, or perish. Not unlike you, Mr. Turner," he added to Will. "You, your young friend here, and your fiancée face the hangman's noose."

Will thought for a moment. "So you get Jack and the _Black Pearl_?"

Beckett frowned. "The _Black Pearl_?"

Will frowned as well. "The property you want that he possesses?"

Beckett chuckled. "A ship? Hardly. The item in question is considerably smaller and far more valuable. Something Sparrow keeps on his person at all times."

Will looked over at me, and I exhaled slowly. "The compass." Recognition shone on Will's face.

"Ah, you know it," Beckett murmured. He leaned in a little closer to us. "Bring back that compass, or there's no deal." He went back into the office.

"Okay," I said after a moment, following him. "No deal."

Beckett seemed to finally have been caught off guard. "I beg your pardon?"

Will was a bit more blunt. "What?" He started to walk in.

"No, Will, you stay there for a minute," I ordered. Will obediently took a few steps back, looking more lost than ever. I lowered my voice so that even Beckett had to strain to hear. "I'm a smart girl, Beckett. I may not have seen Jack for a while, but I know what he's after."

"And what might that be?" Beckett asked in a slightly patronizing tone.

I lowered my voice even further. "The same thing you are: Davy Jones' heart." A flash of realization passed through Beckett's eyes. "You want the heart for power," I went on, "but Jack wants it for survival. Without power of Jones, Jack will face a death much worse than being hanged. If we take his compass, it'll be no different than signing his death warrant. I'm not gonna let that happen."

Beckett was silent for a long time, trying to calculate this new information into his master plan. "I see," he said finally. "Well then, it appears that I'll need to adjust the terms." I felt a prickle of fear at these words, but matched his icy gaze. "Do you know the identity of the man I was speaking with earlier?"

I nodded slowly, not liking where this was going. "Mercer…your assassin."

"You _are _knowledgeable," Beckett murmured, more to himself than to me. He was silent for another long moment. "That knowledge could be useful…"

"If you're offering what I think you're offering, then I'm not interested," I snapped. "Can we get to the point?"

"Very well, I'll not mince words." He leaned in close to my ear, and his voice became deathly quiet. "Either you help Mr. Turner retrieve the compass, or you'll be left to face a painful death of your own. I will not hesitate in ordering Mr. Mercer to kill you. And the more uncooperative you become, the slower and more painful it will be." He slowly pulled away, smirking.

I froze, feeling panic begin to start up again. Forget being hung – Mercer's killings were cold, cruel, and painful. I thought of Captain Hawkins, Lian and Park, and Governor Swann, and I felt my unsteady breathing morph into hyperventilation. Beckett's smirk widened; he knew he'd won.

_No…if I give him the compass, then there'll be no way to stop Jones from getting to Jack…_An image of the Kaken dragging down the _Pearl _appeared in my mind. I took several deep breaths and felt my breathing begin to calm. "Fine then," I said softly to Beckett. "Do your worst. I'd never betray Jack, no matter how much pain you put me through!"

Beckett did not look surprised. "Hmm…are you certain you can handle pain so easily? Because I am not yet convinced." I nervously took a step backwards. "I believe a demonstration of your tolerance may be necessary…" Beckett said thoughtfully. He looked at me, then at Will, and finally towards the door. "I'd rather hoped it would not come to this," he sighed. "Guards!"

The door slammed open and five marines burst into the room, including the three that had escorted us here. "Lord Beckett! What has happened?" The wigged officer puffed.

Beckett looked at them calmly. "It appears, gentlemen, that we have a pirate in our presence that has yet to be properly punished for her crimes. I trust you know what to do?"

"Yes, sir!" all five said sharply. They quickly darted across the room. Before I could do more than gasp, two marines had forced me to my knees and were gripping onto my arms like a steel trap. Another two had done the same to Will, who had his teeth bared and was struggling vainly. The officer stood in front of the door, pointing a gun at me.

I clenched my teeth and attempted to stand up, but the marines pushed me down again. "Let go of me!" I yelled. "Beckett, what the hell are you doing?"

Beckett strode back over to the fireplace. "Seeing if your threshold for pain is truly as high as you say it is." He pulled a poker out of the fire…my heart stopped. The piracy brand.

"No!" I screamed, giving in to blind terror. "Get that away from me! Don't touch me with that!" I felt the marines' grip tighten. One of them forced my right arm forward.

"Leave her alone!" Will shouted at Beckett.

"This does not concern you, Mr. Turner," Beckett replied softly. He slowly crossed the room, brandishing the red-hot poker like a sword.

For a moment, my vision was blinded by the image of bright orange flames licking hungrily at the air around me, burning my house to the ground, snatching my parents away from me…"Stop! Please!"

Beckett's expression didn't change. "Stop? I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Cooper. This does appear to be the only way to get you to cooperate." He smiled wryly. "It's nothing personal. It's just good business."

_That_ tore it. I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed even louder than before. I vaguely heard Will call out my name before white-hot, burning pain pierced my skin…the smell of burning flesh seeped into my nostrils…and now it wasn't just my arm, but my leg, too…it felt like the scar had split open…_oh, God, please make it stop, make it stop, I'll do anything, please_…

Through the agony, I heard Beckett's voice whispering in my ear. "Understand, Miss Cooper, that if you can not handle this sort of pain, then you'll be begging for death by the time Mercer's halfway finished with you."

_I'm begging for death now! Please, Beckett, please stop it…stop the burning…_

"Now, I'll ask you once more: will you recover the compass from Sparrow?"

"Y…y…yes," I choked out. I thought I heard Beckett chuckle coldly before everything seemed to disappear all at once. My vision darkened, and I heard somebody scream before sinking into the blackness.

* * *


	4. Don't Eat Me!

Just to be clear, if a phrase is "_italicized_ _and in quotes_," it's in a foreign language.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the characters mentioned here, excluding Kate and Inner Voice.

* * *

_You have a debt to pay…_

"No…no, please…"

_You owe __me__ y__e__r soul…_

"Don't do this…leave him alone, take me instead…"

_And it's time to pay up__…_

"Please, no…take me…don't take him, take me…"

_Summon__ the Kraken!_

"NO!" I screamed, my eyes snapping open. Pain suddenly blinded me, and I gritted my teeth to keep from screaming again.

_Kate! What happened? What's wrong?_

I struggled to keep my breathing under control. "Nothing," I answered out loud, more to myself than Inner Voice. "Just a bad dream."

_You wanna talk about it?_

_It's nothing to worry about! It was just…_

_Just what?_

_…it was about Davy Jones, okay? Davy Jones and…and the Kraken._

_Oh…well, don't worry, Katie. Even on the off-chance that Jack _does _get eaten – _(I groaned quietly) _– we'd just go to World's End and get him, right?_

_…yeah, I guess…_

Feeling a little better, I raised my head and took a look around. I was lying in a hammock with a tan-colored blanket placed over me. The room I was in was very large and appeared to be built out of dark brown wood. A very faint light shone down from the top of a narrow staircase. There were several cannons scattered around the room…which meant…a gun deck! I was on a ship! Feeling my newfound sailor's blood begin to heat up, I sat up quickly…but then promptly fell back as another stab of pain shot through me. I groaned again. "Ow."

I suddenly heard footsteps – probably more than one pair – coming from the staircase. Raising my head slightly, I saw Will run down the stairs, followed by another man. "Kate!" Will gasped, kneeling down beside the hammock. "Thank goodness you're awake." Will was no longer in his wedding outfit – instead, he wore a white shirt, a blue-gray coat, a dark brown vest (hidden by the coat), dark gray pants, and boots. His sword was hanging from his belt.

"We heard screaming!" the other man puffed. "Is everything alright?" He looked to be in his mid-forties, and was short and a little chubby. He wore a long, buttoned brown coat, tights, buckled shoes, and a white scarf around his neck. A tri-cornered hat covered his light gray hair, and wide rimmed spectacles were placed on his nose.

"Yeah," I answered, sitting up slowly and wincing from the resulting pain. "I just had a nightmare, nothing to be concerned about. Not to be rude, but, uh…who are you?"

The man's face flushed with embarrassment. "Ah, yes, of course. Where are my manners? I am Dr. Simon Tyler, the doctor aboard the _EIS Dolphin_…which you happen to be on," he added as an afterthought.

"Beckett allowed us to use this ship while we look for Jack," Will explained.

EIS…so Beckett was still keeping us under his control. "Kate Cooper," I said to the doctor. "Nice to meet y – AAAH!" I made the mistake of raising my arm to shake his hand, but the pain was even greater this time. I withdrew my arm and held it against me, whimpering. I vaguely noticed that my forearm was wrapped in clean white bandages.

Dr. Tyler cringed sympathetically. "Ah, yes, moving your arm may not be the best idea. You received quite the terrible burn. Until your skin is healed, I suggest you stay in bed – or hammock, as the case may be – and keep your arm motion to a minimum."

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied, feeling the pain began to ebb. What happened, anyway? I remember leaving the prison cell and going to Beckett's office…something clicked in my brain, and the memories came flooding back. "Beckett!" I snarled, expressing as much anger as I could without agitating my arm. "That sick bastard! He branded me!"

"Yes, he did," Will confirmed, making a face. "But why?"

"Because I wasn't willing to get the compass." I sighed softly. "It's more important than it seems. Why else would Beckett want it so much?"

"That's a good point…" Will agreed, but he looked confused.

Dr. Tyler cleared his throat. "Well, Miss Cooper, as long as you're awake, I think the time may be right to replace your bandages." He knelt down on the other side of my hammock and held out his hand. I hesitated, but held out my arm. "You may want to look away," he advised, beginning to undo the bandages. "Mr. Turner informed me of your previous experience with burns, and seeing this may bring up some bad memories."

I obediently looked away, and my eyes fell once again on Will's sword. "What happened to my –?"

Will pulled out my sword and rucksack from underneath the hammock. "I got them before getting on board the ship," he explained.

I smiled. "Thanks. Fine state I'd be in, only one good arm and no weapons." The dagger shifted in my boot, as if reminding me it was there.

Dr. Tyler suddenly gasped. "My word!"

I felt a cold pit of fear settle in my stomach. "What? What is it?"

"This…this wound is healing incredibly fast!" I glanced over at my arm. He was right – although the skin was an angry red color, the skin was already peeling. A clumsy "P" was etched into my skin, colored a pale red.

Dr. Tyler looked flabbergasted. "My goodness! Normally, a burn doesn't reach this stage of the healing process for at least another five days! And it's only been two! Remarkable!"

I blinked in amazement. _Two days? Was I unconscious that whole time?_

_Yeah. I don't think it has to do with weakness or the pain – it was probably psychological trauma._

The doctor quickly composed himself. "Well, this is a surprise! Your arm may be well enough for you to go ashore tomorrow." He reached for a jar, opened it, and began spreading a sticky green substance on the burn. The pain was instantly soothed.

I felt myself smiling again. "Really?" A thought suddenly occurred to me. "Where is exactly is 'ashore?'"

Will cringed. "Erm…well, Kate, as you can imagine…I have no idea where Jack is, so I decided to sail to somewhere where he'd often been in the past, somewhere the people might know what happened to him…so…Tortuga," he said finally.

My blood ran cold. "Tortuga?" Memories of our last trip resurfaced, including a man spread out onto a tavern floor with a sword sticking out of chest…I suddenly felt sick.

"I already checked the town, though," Will said quickly. "Tomorrow we'll have a look around the docks and beaches, and in broad daylight."

I forced myself to calm down. "Okay…so, any luck?"

Will's face fell. "Not much…there are a thousand ideas about where Jack could be. One sailor said he was dead, another said he's in Singapore, another said he ran off to Madagascar –"

"With a Creole girl half his age and twice his height," I recited from the uncut script. "I seriously doubt it." I noticed that one of Will's cheeks had a dull bruise on it, and I smiled slyly. "And you met those two prostitutes from last year, too, didn't you?"

Will cringed again, rubbing his cheek. "They wanted me to give him a message." I laughed.

"There we are," Dr. Tyler cut in, standing up, and rubbing his hands together. He had finished spreading the green stuff on my burn and had wrapped my arm in a new set of bandages. "My suggestion is to stay in bed and lie as still as possible. I'll get one of the crewmen to bring some food, but afterwards you should rest, understand?"

"I understand. Thank you, Doctor," I answered. He nodded and climbed the stairs leading to the deck.

Will started to follow him, but stopped and looked back over his shoulder at me. "I don't understand. If you knew you were going to be branded, why did you still refuse?"

I gave him a long look. "It's hard to explain. All I'm saying now is that the compass could mean life or death for Jack, and I'm not handing it over to Beckett." I thought for a moment. "If Elizabeth's life was in danger, you'd want to save her, right?"

Will nodded determinedly. "You know I'd do anything to save Elizabeth."

"Well, I feel the same about Jack. I'd die before hurting him." I closed my eyes and shuddered, remembering my dream. _If he stays on the _Pearl_, then I'll stay right beside him. _I opened my eyes to see that Will had gone up the stairs. Feeling exhausted, I lay back on the hammock and closed my eyes. Right before I drifted off, a memory swam in my head…the doctors at the hospital saying my leg would take two weeks to heal, but I was walking again in just one…

* * *

The next morning found Will and I walking down the gangplank of the _Dolphin_, looking around the crowded docks of Tortuga. The burn had all but disappeared, leaving a ghostly white, P-shaped scar on my forearm. I could move arm freely, and I didn't feel any pain. Amazed with the healing process, Dr. Tyler had given the okay for me to get out of bed and accompany Will on the one condition that I kept the bandage on, just in case. 

"Who do you think we should ask first?" Will asked quietly, scanning the workers.

I looked around, trying to find one face in particular. "Don't know…oh, wait, there we go!" I approached a dreadlocked African shrimper sitting on a crate, repairing a net. "Excuse me, sir! Would you happen to know anything about where we can find Captain Jack Sparrow?"

The shrimper thought for a moment. "Cannot say about Jack Sparrow," he answered finally, speaking with a slight accent, "but there's an island just south of the straits where I trade spice for…mmmm…delicious long pork. Cannot say about Jack, but you'll find a ship there. A ship with black sails."

I exchanged an excited glance with Will. "Do you think you could take us there? We'll make it worth your while." I removed my rucksack, rummaged around inside, and pulled out the handful of coins. Will retrieved some money from his pockets as well.

The shrimper looked at the coins thoughtfully, and then took them, nodding. We were on our way.

* * *

"Is that it?" Will asked, squinting out over the ocean. 

I handed the spyglass back to the shrimper. "Oh, yeah. That's the _Black Pearl_ alright."

The shrimper had taken us in his boat to a small island not far from Tortuga. Judging by the dense jungles and smoking volcano, this was indeed the Pelegostos' island. As if in confirmation, the _Black Pearl _was in plain sight of the little boat, run aground on the beach.

The shrimper pocketed the spyglass, "My brother will take you ashore," he told us, gesturing to a longboat ready to be lowered into the water. A bald African man in his twenties was already sitting inside, holding onto the oars. Will and I thanked the shrimper and got into the boat beside the man. Some crewmen lowered the boat into the water, and the man began rowing.

We were about halfway between the boat and the shore when the man sighed, put down the oars, and looked at us. Will frowned. "What's wrong? The beach is right there."

"_C'est trop dangereux_," the man replied, speaking French. Having taken French for six years, I was able to understand this as, "It's very dangerous."

Will, however, had no clue what this guy was saying. "What?"

"_C'est trop dangereux, je vous l'avais dit_." (I said, 'it's very dangerous.'")

Will shot me a blank look. I sighed. "He doesn't wanna get too close to the island. It's too dangerous." I turned to the man. "_D'accord. Will et moi, nous nagerons__ a l'ile_." The man nodded gratefully.

Will looked more lost than ever. "What?"

I looked at him exasperatedly. "We're swimming."

"Oh." We stood up and grabbed our effects, preparing to jump out of the boat.

"_Bon voyage, monsieur et mademoiselle_," the man said to us.

"_Merci beaucoup_," I replied. Taking a deep breath, I jumped out of the boat and into the water, hearing Will jump in as well.

Other than some slight pain in my injured arm, we made it to the island without any problems. In fact, I felt completely energized, as I always did after swimming. Will, however, looked pretty out of breath as he gazed up at the _Pearl._ I looked up as well, feeling the old exhilaration return. The _Pearl_ was just as awe-inspiring as I remembered, minus the undead skeletons scurrying around. Certainly an improvement.

_Amen._

"JACK!" Will called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. "JACK SPARROW! MARTY! COTTON!" No answer. "…anybody?"

"Forget it, Will, they're not there," I told him, squinting into the jungle to see if I could spot the Pelegostos. "They probably went this way…follow me." I led the way into the jungle.

We'd hadn't gone far before we heard a familiar squawk and the sound of flapping wings. Cotton's parrot landed on a broken tree branch, blinking at us quizzically.

"Ah! A familiar face!" Will said, grinning.

The parrot squawked. "Don't eat me!"

"Aw, shit," I groaned. The Pelegostos had already captured them.

Will frowned. "I'm not gonna eat you."

"DON'T EAT ME!"

"Remember, Will," I said softly, "the parrot speaks for Cotton."

"No! Don't eat me!" The parrot squawked again.

Will thought for a second, but then his eyes widened. "Why didn't the shrimper's brother want to row ashore?"

I smiled weakly. "Um, yeah…there's a bunch of cannibals on the island." I started walking deeper into the jungle.

"_Cannibals_?!" Will yelped. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?!"

"Do you wanna save your fiancée, or what?" I snapped. Will fell silent.

We kept walking until I found what I what I was looking for: a small, black flask hung over a tree branch. "Hey, Will!" I called out. "Look at this!"

Will approached the tree and held the flask in his hands. "Gibbs," he whispered. He noticed a string tied to the top and leading off into the forest. He pocketed the flask and slowly followed the string, unsheathing his sword to cut down some stray foliage. I followed behind, making sure to stat a good twenty steps behind him.

Will followed the string until its end, which was stuck between two tree branches. He pulled it out and stared at it, his brow furrowing in confusion.

I suddenly noticed that the tree trunk behind us looked an awful lot like a man. "Uh, Will?" I said quietly. "You might wanna move. Now!"

Before Will had time to reply, the cannibal pulled away from the tree and yelled. Startled, Will scrambled backwards. His foot got caught in a trap, and he flew into the air, hanging upside down from his foot.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Real smooth, Will."

The smile was wiped from my face as several more cannibals encircled us, all of them holding spears. I put my hand on my sword hilt, but it occurred to me that my sword might be left behind when we were dragged off. Will seemed to be doing the fighting for both of us; his sword swung around wildly as he dangled from the rope. It was just about the most pathetic thing I've seen in my life.

"Come on!" he shouted, swinging the sword faster. "Who wants it? I could do this all day!"

"Dude, just stop," I groaned, slapping my forehead. "You're embarrassing yourself. And me."

The Pelegostos eventually stopped fighting back and exchanged glances. One of the cannibals shrugged, raised a long wooden dart gun, and shot Will in the neck. Will's body convulsed, and then went limp. His sword fell to the ground.

The Pelegosto with the gun suddenly looked at me. He raised the gun to his lips, and my eyes widened. I cleared my throat. "Um…parley?"

I suddenly felt a sharp pain in the side of my neck, and I sank to the forest floor. _Dammit…_

* * *

When I came to, I had been taken to a less dense part of the jungle; I could easily see the sky. I was hanging from a long bamboo pole, with my wrists and ankles bound tightly to it. I lifted my head, feeling a little numb. The Pelegostos had taken us to their village, where scores of people milled about, watching me interestedly. I noticed with some difficulty that Will was tied up to another bamboo pole. The cannibals holding it were walking right behind my group, stepping off of a rickety-looking bridge. 

The cannibals suddenly made a sharp turn, and the bamboo was swung around so I could see the front. Will's group did the same as the rest of the tribe gathered around. "_Kali kali ten dadah_!" one Pelegosto announced, raising his spear to the sky. I turned my head and gasped. The Pelegostos' attention was focused on a large throne made out of what seemed to be human bones. A brown and red blanket was propped over it, protecting the occupant from shade. And the person who was seated on the throne, wearing a feathered headdress and face paint that made him look like he had multiple pairs of eyes…

"Jack!" I gasped.

Jack opened his eyes and looked around, looking surprised. His eyes finally fell on me, and I felt myself grin widely. "Jack! I can't believe it's really you!" For the briefest moment, I thought I saw shock etched into Jack's face, but I blinked and he gave me a blank look suggesting he'd never seen me in his life. My smile slowly faded. "…Jack? Don't you remember me? It's Kate, remember? Kate Cooper." Jack didn't answer, but I saw him bite his bottom lip slightly.

_Hello? Earth to Katie? He's gotta act like a chief, remember? Somehow, I don't think having a romantic relationship with your next meal is very chief-y._

I sighed. _Point taken. _"Sorry," I whispered, looking away.

I heard a soft groan to my left and awkwardly craned my neck towards the sound. Will had finally woken up and was blinking curiously at Jack. "…Jack? Jack Sparrow!" He started laughing in relief. "I can honestly say I'm glad to see you!"

Jack stood up, still with a blank look on his face, and strolled over to us. He poked Will in the shoulder a couple times, nodded once, and came over to me. I held my breath as Jack gave me a long look, hoping that I'd stay in control of the situation. Jack placed one hand on my left shoulder and slowly slid it down the length of my body to my ankle. I shuddered slightly, pressing my lips together tightly. I saw something flash in Jack's eyes before he turned away and walked over to the Pelegosto who had spoken.

Will suddenly looked less happy. "Jack? It's me – Will Turner!"

"He knows," I told him in a bored voice.

"Then why doesn't he say something?" Will hissed back.

"Cause he's the chief. The chief doesn't fraternize with the main course, or so I'm told." Will's face blanched.

"_Bas__ay__ ko_?" Jack asked the Pelegosto.

The Pelegosto inclined his head. "_Teen dadah. Eeseepis_."

"_Eeseepis_," the rest of the tribe echoed, inclining their heads as well.

_You following any o' this?_

_Nah. Hell, sometimes I barely understand English._

"Tell them to let us down!" Will called out, struggling against his bonds.

"He's not gonna say any thing, Will," I said in a frustrated voice.

Jack rolled his eyes. "_Kele lum_. _Lum pikipiki_. _Lum _eensy-weensy." He walked back over to Will's pole and knelt down by his (Will's) legs. "_Lum saysay_…_eunuchy_. Snip-snip." He made a scissor motion with his hand.

"Ooooooh, _eunuchy_," the tribe murmured in understanding. Jack straightened up and began walking back towards his throne.

Will spotted the compass hanging from Jack's belt. "Jack! The compass, that's all I need! Elizabeth is in danger! We were arrested for trying to help you! She faces the gallows!" Jack froze.

I sighed heavily. "Okay, Will, let me give it to you straight: about eighty percent of POTC fans all shriek 'yay' whenever you say that line, and the other twenty percent DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN!" A couple people in front scooted backwards.

Jack spun around and approached the cannibal again. "_Saysay lum __shupshup sha smarmy marmy shuku_. Savvy?" The cannibal stared at him. "_Maliki liki_," Jack clarified, making a shooing motion.

The Pelegosto raised his spear into the air again. "_Maliki liki_!"

"_Maliki liki_!" The rest of the tribe shouted. The cannibals holding our poles began walking again, and Jack returned to his throne, but not before whispering, "Save me!" out of the corner of his mouth. I gave the slightest of nods.

"Jack, what did you tell them?" Will shouted as we were led away. "No! What about Elizabeth? JAAAAAACK!"

"FORGET IT! HE WON'T ANSWER!"

* * *

About twenty minutes later, Will and I had been placed in the cage holding Gibbs, Marty, Cotton, and some other crewmen, and were now dangling off of several vines hanging over at least a five-hundred-foot high cliff. The other cage was hanging about five feet away from us. 

Gibbs grinned at me. "Good to have ye back, lass, although I wish it were under different circumstances."

"Nice to see you, too, Gibbs!" I answered cheerfully, struggling to get comfortable in what little space I had. "And don't worry; I've been through much worse than this."

"I don't doubt it," Gibbs replied. "One question, though; how is it that you ended up disappearing in the first place?"

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we went to our stations and made to shove off, but then we heard Jack yellin', and Marty over here saw this golden flash –" Marty nodded in confirmation. " – and when we turned around, you were gone. Like you'd vanished into thin air." His expression was both concerned and curious. "What happened?"

My hand jumped to my throat. "Ah…I'll tell you once we get out of this." _And once I figure out an adequate explanation._

Gibbs shrugged. "Fair enough."

Will, who had been silent all this time, sighed heavily. "Why would he do this to us? If Jack is the chief –"

Gibbs nodded. "Aye, the Pelegostos made Jack their chief, but he only remains chief as long as he _acts _like a chief."

"So he had no choice," Will said, nodding thoughtfully. "He's a captive, then, as much as the rest of us."

"Actually, he's worse off," I corrected. "You see, with the Pelegostos…they kind of think Jack is…well, one of their gods."

_And honestly, can you blame them?_

_Shh!_

"But the thing is, they consider his human form a prison, so they're planning on…'releasing him.'" I made air quotes with my fingers.

Cotton got it first; he reached over, grabbed Gibbs' hand, and bit down on it. Gibbs yelped and pulled his hand away, glaring at Cotton. I nodded. "Yeah. Basically that."

Will's eyes widened, but he spoke calmly. "Where's the rest of the crew?"

Gibbs smiled wryly. "These cages we're in weren't built till _after_ we got here." Will and I hurriedly withdrew our hands from the bars. The wind suddenly changed, and the sound of drums could be heard easily. "The feast is about to begin," Gibbs told us. "Jack's life will end…when the drums stop."

We were silent a moment. "Well," I said. "Then I'm not just gonna sit here."

"You have a plan?" Will asked.

I nodded. "Yes, but I warn you: we're going to need courage, patience, and really crappy circus music. Can you handle it?" The crew exchanged looks and nodded gamely. "Cool. Okay, here's the plan…"

* * *


End file.
